Simple English definitions for legal terms
Read a random definition: open-meeting law
Term: Matter of Law
Definition: A matter of law is the same as a question of law. It means that there is a legal issue that needs to be decided by a judge or court. This is different from a matter of fact, which is a dispute over what actually happened in a case. A matter of law is about how the law should be applied to the facts of a case.
Definition: A legal issue that can be decided by a judge or court based on the interpretation of the law, rather than on the facts of the case. It is also known as a question of law.
Examples:
The examples illustrate that a matter of law is a legal issue that can be resolved by interpreting the law, rather than by considering the specific facts of a case. In the first example, the enforceability of a contract is determined by the legal requirements for a valid contract, rather than by the specific details of the contract in question. In the second example, the determination of whether the defendant was negligent is based on the legal definition of negligence, rather than on the specific circumstances of the case.